Cucumis prophetarum is a dioecious and prostrate or climbing perennial vine in the family Cucurbitaceae.[1] The specific epithet (prophetarum) comes from Latin propheta, meaning "prophet".
Cucumis prophetarum is native to Africa and the Middle East, from Mauritania east to the Horn of Africa and southwest to Angola then southeast to South Africa, as well as Israel south to Yemen and Oman and east to northwestern India. It has been introduced to Qatar.[2] It grows wild in semi-desert bushland and grassland up to 6594abbr=offNaNabbr=off in elevation, often with acacia trees.
Its stems and leaves are hairy and the leaves are ovate to round in shape and cordate at the base and measure 2–4 centimeters in length. The margins are dentate or lobulate. They have 3–5 blunt-toothed, obtuse or subacute lobes, and the petioles measure 6– in length. Male flowers occur in clusters of 2–3 on pedicels measuring 3– in length, and are rarely solitary. Female flowers are always solitary and have peduncles measuring 6– in length. They have five yellow petals measuring 5–8 millimeters in length and 2.5–3.5 millimeters in width. The fruit is slightly ovoid and is vertically striped and yellow in color when ripe. It measures 3–4 centimeters in length and is covered in spike-like pustules.[3]
The fruit has a bitter flavor when raw and is sometimes boiled or pickled and the leaves are cooked and served with a staple.The fruit is eaten across its native range and occasionally cultivated and sold in local markets.[4]
The fruit is also used in folk medicine in Saudi Arabia to treat liver disorders and an extract from it has been proven to contain cytotoxicity against six cancer cell lines.[5] Another extract from the fruit induces an anti-diabetic effect.[6]